The Baroness's Recovery
Log Title: The Baroness's Recovery Characters: Baroness, Destro Location: The Silent Castle Date: January 27, 2016 Summary: The Baroness recovers from her captivity in Borovia. Category:2016 Category:Logs As Logged by Destro - Wednesday, January 27, 2016, 8:04 PM The Silent Castle It has been some time since the Baroness was rescued from the prison, and Destro has largely left her alone to recuperate - seeing to her every need, of course, but not pushing her to talk, and letting her recover in her own way at her own pace - even if that recovery might include unorthodox methods, since the Baroness IS a rather unique woman. Tonight, though, he brings her tea, knocking softly on her door, awaiting her permission before entering the room. Baroness has been spending most of her time these days plotting on the next big move, there was also the shooting range since even after the weeks that had gone by she wasn't up to a whole lot of hand to hand just yet. Though at this point it was more something to keep her mind busy and off of that horrible place, which had better be a parking lot by this point. :At first she had rested sleeping most of the days less the visitor here and there, she didn't have to do much of anything with Destro making sure that she was tended to, which she really appreciates. She had a seat at a rather lavish desk and was flipping through the news articles on the internet when there was the knock at the door. What now? she thinks before standing up straightening out her hair just a little bit. " You may come in." she speaks toward the door. Destro opens the door carefully and peeks in, checking to make sure the Baroness is prepared to receive company. In spite of their past, or perhaps especially because of it, Destro makes no assumptions, and has treated the Baroness since her return with the utmost propriety. "I brought you tea, Baroness," he says in his deep Scottish voice. "If it pleases you." Destro may command legions of armed men and a multi-billion-euro arms company, but with the Baroness he has nothing but careful respect. Once it is known whom it is calling her demeanor changes ever so slightly, a bit more relaxed. Destro is one of a very few people in the world that she didn't feel she had to hold her self so guarded around. History was history and they had that. Though most others she engaged in such ways were always for a greater purpose, it wasn't that way with him. She supposed that part of her will always think of him with the warmest of thoughts. Even if they never got around to establishing anything further. A warm smile tugs at her lips as she crosses the room, " Destro...Please come in." She extends her hand to take the tea. " To what do I owe the pleasure?" Sure he had been taking care of her, even if at a distance, but he had personally brought her tea this evening. "Mine is the pleasure, darling, to enjoy your company. I thought I would let you know personally that those who dared imprison you have been found, and detained for your own pleasure - however you decide to take it." Destro isn't normally one to give in to extreme brutality, but seems in this instance to be willing to turn and look the other way. "I also wanted to ask of your plans with the Silent Castle. I secured it for your use. If you wish, I will leave it to you and go... Or stay, at your request." There is a delicate eye brow lofted at him handing the prisoners over to her very capable...very violent hands. He really did know the way to her heart. She lifts the cup up taking a sip from the tea. " I would prefer that you stay, however I do understand the needs of the business. We must not lose any more footing than we have with this whole incident already. I will leave the final choice to you." she waves her hand before setting the tea down on a near by stand and moving over looking to him. " Those filthy pigs made me think I was going to die. For that alone I should peel the skin from their flesh and salt their raw flesh..." there is a pause. "..But did you not give your word that those who surrendered would be spared? Or do our guests not include those who had the good sense to relent?" Destro's facial expressions are hard to determine behind his silver mask, but the Baroness knows his body language well enough to tell that he is pleased. "If the decision is mine, I will stay, as long as you will have my presence. As for the prisoners - the mere guards that surrendered have been spared, as promised. No, these I bring to you are those high- ranking Borovians who believed that capturing you would somehow help free their country from Cobra's control - a mistake I'm sure will cost them their lives." Though she can not see his face she can tell he is pleased, which makes her also pleased. She is even more pleased with the information in his following statement. " Of course I will." a hand is brought up to her chin thoughtfully. " Execute all, except the one that was the highest rank and his second. They will be excellent for ad work promoting us, and in their off time they will enjoy manual labor. Under close supervision. Do be sure that they know their families will not be touched as long as they agree to our terms, but if the thought is even born they are doing anything that we would frown on, we will strap them down and make them watch while we test how much pain a human body can with stand before insanity strikes or the body simply falls apart. Starting with their children, and ending with their own bodies. It would behoove them to make sure their families are also on the same page. I will not be taking any more garbage from these insignificant flesh piles. " Destro tenses at the mention of the victims' families, but says nothing. He gave his word to the Baroness that she might do with these men what she likes, and if that includes dark threats against children - well, it will be up to the prisoners to ensure that the Baroness will never have to carry them out. "It will be done," Destro says. "And yourself? Will you be staying here for the foreseeable future?" He leaves the alternative question, if she would leave here, unsaid. As he tenses she brings her hand up to his shoulder giving it a light squeeze. He'd always been a little more humane than she in those regards, she supposes that is one of the reasons they made such a good pair. Balance and all. " It's just insurance. I do not wish to do more work than needed in this case." though really she would like nothing more than to skip rope with their innards, but, she is aware that Destro has a distaste for such things. " I have no plans to leave. Any work I have can be done from this very room should I choose after all." Destro relaxes at the Baroness's touch and her words, and she can hear the smile in his voice even if she can't see it. "Excellent. If you have no objections, then, I will renew some of the manufacturing contracts in Transcarpathia, and transfer some control of the company to this location. I can assist you in any way necessary during your recovery, and if you wish, you can assist me as well. It is good to share a castle with you again." Baroness' smile seems to broaden just a slight bit. " No objections. In fact I think it may do better here." she nods. " I will help as much as I am able. I would also like to start hand to hand training, I am afraid I've gotten a little rusty with my down time." she pauses a moment " I am happy to share a castle with you. It makes me wonder why we stopped in the first place." other than life happening and an array of other factors that no doubt had influence on that. The smile in Destro's voice becomes all the more apparent. "I can schedule you time with Piper, of you like, or offer instruction with the sword myself. As for why we stopped - sometimes I have trouble remembering as well. Perhaps, in time, we could give it another go." Destro reaches behind his head, and a slow hiss is heard as he disengages his mask. He carefully removes it, and smiles at the Baroness with his little-seen true face. Baroness nods, " Your instruction to start, then we can move on to others." seeing his actual face was such a rare treat, and his smile even rarer. " Is that not what we are doing now?" she said canting her head just slightly to the side. Perhaps out of old habit she brings her hand up straightening out bits of his hair that were miss placed inside the mask. :" You should remove that more often. it's making a dreadful mess of your hair." and truth be told she didn't mind the view. "Are we?" James asks, about giving things another go. "I do hope so." He reaches up to touch the edge of his receding hairline. "I should take better care of my hair while I still have some left," he laughs, his voice not as deep, but more natural without the mask. "There are few for whom I remove my masks, both physical and metaphorical. You obviously make the cut," he smiles. "It's good to let my hair down once in a while." Baroness just gives him that little coy smile of hers. " I am to remain here, you are to remain here. What you choose to do with that is your call, Darling." and just as his mask came off she also relaxes a bit more, it felt nice admittedly. There was a light chuckle from her as he made the comment about his hair. " Perhaps, or consider shaving it all off." she tilts her head just so leaning in " Then again no, hair is much better suited to you." there is a smile up to him. " as do you with myself. It is rather nice to be able to...relax a little. It has been far too long." "I've shaved it before," James admitted. "But with you gone, there was less reason for upkeep. I see I may have reason to pay more attention to my true appearance in the future." He smiles. "You said we may assist one another. I will happily place my Iron Grenadier and MARS resources in your hands while you rebuild your intelligence network. Foreknowledge of military hotspots will be good for business, after all," he smiles, shark-like. " Indeed you will. I do not plan on going anywhere any time soon." and there is a smirk from her. " Excellent, once I am able to establish more intel, we will be able to better plan the future motions." she is quiet for a moment as if thoughtful. " I was unable to find any clues as to activity of the Joes in my research..." He did have a way or pretty much letting her do as she wishes for the most part, the next perhaps is a test as to how far he would let her go. " What about a ruse, in which I defect to the Joes?" It was a long shot, and it could potentially end badly, but the intel she could get... oh the delicious intel. James raises one of his eyebrows, his body tensing once more. "Intriguing," he says cautiously. "You have spent time away from Cobra - it's believable that you might blame them for your capture and imprisonment, and lack of efforts in retrieving you." He considers the Baroness's idea. "How would you make contact with the Joes, and how do you think this would play out? Would you wish me to reach out to them, or would you prefer a more elaborate scenario?" There is a grin from her, much like the cat that ate the canary, things like this Baroness enjoyed more than just her usual take over the world and run over anyone in the way business. Her finger draws up resting just slightly under his lower lip, a soft touch as she taps just lightly. " My darling, we can not be so obvious just reaching out. For this to work our very troops on the lower levels will need to believe that I've betrayed you." her finger moving down his jaw line, " After a few weeks I will disappear, following a terrible fight regarding the current situation at hand. And you issue a bounty on me, of course this will bring attention. Then I seek sanctuary with the Joes. I am sure we can find a suitable location of theirs for me to 'happen' upon." James's body tenses further, and the Baroness can tell he is not fond of her plan, to say the least. However, as always, he allows the Baroness to make her own decisions, and trusts her to have the capability to carry out whatever she concocts. "I suppose our living arrangements will be temporary after all," James jokes with a touch of sadness. "Whatever you have need of me, however, I will provide." James smiles at the object of his affection, but the mirth doesn't reach his deep grey eyes. "But enough talk for now. You should rest. Shall I check on you in the morning? I could make breakfast." Baroness says, " If you wish, I will be here." she smiles to him leaning in and kissing his cheek " We can discuss this further then, I can sense you're uneasy." "Let me sleep on it, and we can certainly discuss in the morning." Destro accepts the kiss with a broader, more convincing smile, and then bids her goodnight, taking his mask with him as he leaves.